An Amish Wedding (35 page)

Less than thirty minutes later he opened his eyes and saw Abe standing at the end of his bed. He rubbed his eyes, then leaned up on his elbows. “How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough.” Abe shifted his weight and grinned. “I hope Priscilla can put up with your snoring.” He nodded his head toward the door. “
Daed
wants you to come downstairs. He said he needs both of us to help him carry something in the barn.”

Chester groaned as he swung his legs to the side of the bed. “It’s Sunday. No work on Sunday.” He ran a hand through his hair, blinking until he felt alert. Then he noticed an envelope in Abe’s hand. “What’s that?”

Abe pushed the envelope toward him. “Something from Rachel Zook.”

Chester took it, smiling at the pink drawings all over the envelope. Rachel was a special girl.

“
Ach
, and she told me at least a hundred times to tell you not to open it until your wedding day.” Abe grimaced as he rubbed at the edge of his cast with his good hand.

“Hurting,
bruder
?” Chester stood up and laid Rachel’s gift on his nightstand.

Abe shrugged as he dropped his hand to his side. “A little. But it mostly just itches under the cast.”

Chester grabbed his hat from the bedpost. “Well, let’s get downstairs and help
Daed
with whatever project we shouldn’t be doing on the Sabbath.” He patted Abe on the shoulder as they left the room.

P
RISCILLA’S EYES GLASSED OVER AS SHE SHOWED HER
mother the broken casserole dish. “I’m sorry,
Mamm
.”

“It was an accident,
dochder
.” Her mother cupped her face in her hands and smiled. “Don’t be sad,
mei maedel
.” She kissed her on the forehead, then opened the refrigerator and pulled out a pitcher of tea. As she poured them each a glass, she told Priscilla about church service, how the deacon announced their engagement, and how her father informed everyone about the date and time. She handed Priscilla a glass. “It might be wrong to be prideful, but today . . .” A smile lit her mother’s face. “Your
daed
was a proud man as he announced your wedding. It was very touching.”

They both sat down at the kitchen table.

“Hannah and Leroy weren’t at worship today. We stopped by there on the way to church, and Hannah is just miserably huge, so I talked them into keeping her off her feet today.”
Mamm
took a long drink of tea. “But your sister said there is no way she is missing your wedding.”

Priscilla forced a smile, figuring that Hannah would probably go into labor right in the middle of the ceremony. “Where is everyone else?”

“Your father and Sarah Mae are outside in the barn, and Naomi’s in the
daadi haus
.” Sarah Mae skipped into the kitchen from outside, swinging Lizzie Lou at her side—wearing, of course, her new blue dress. Priscilla tried to calm her heartbeat as she thought about how she still had to finish sewing her new wedding dress.

“
Mamm
, I’m going to give Lizzie Lou a bath.” Sarah Mae held up her rag doll with smudges of black underneath her hand-painted blue eyes. The days of faceless dolls were long gone, except for the tourists, and Sarah Mae’s doll was handmade by a woman in town. A Christmas present last year.

“I think we better just give Lizzie Lou a sponge bath.”
Mamm
walked to the counter and came back to the table with a damp kitchen towel. She dabbed underneath Lizzie Lou’s eyes until Sarah Mae was happy and skipped back outside. A few moments later her mother snapped her fingers together. “
Ach
, I almost forgot to tell you. Rachel Zook talked to me after worship, and she told me over and over again to make sure you open the envelope she gave you on your wedding day, and not one day before.”
Mamm
paused. “What did she give you?”

“I’m sure it’s a picture. You know how Rachel is always drawing everyone pictures.”

Mamm
nodded. “She’s such a sweetheart . . . and she looked so pretty today dressed in a new pink dress.”

They were quiet for a few moments, but Priscilla couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Today wasn’t as
gut
a day as I’d hoped,
Mamm
.” She ran her finger along the rim of her tea glass. “Chester lost his job.”

“Honey, I’m so sorry.”
Mamm
’s voice was soft and comforting. “But marriage will be filled with
gut
and bad days, to be sure.” She shook her head and blinked her eyes a few times. “But wait a minute. Why did Chester lose his job?”

Priscilla felt her face flush. She knew Mr. Turner’s accusation wasn’t true, but she didn’t even like to say the words out loud. “He said Chester stole two hundred dollars.”

“Well, that’s hogwash. We know Chester wouldn’t do that.” She shook her head. “Poor boy. I know it comes at a bad time.”

“We’ve had a lot of bad timing lately.” Priscilla searched her mother’s eyes. “You don’t think we’re going against God’s plan for us, do you? I mean, so many things keep going wrong, and—”

“Priscilla . . .”
Mamm
placed her hand on top of her daughter’s. “I don’t think that at all. Sometimes we can’t understand the life lessons that God sets before us. But everything that happens puts His overall plan in motion.” She gave Priscilla’s hand a squeeze. “And it is normal to be nervous this close to your wedding.”

“I’m not nervous about marrying Chester. I’m nervous about the fact that things keep going wrong.”

“Focus on the love in your heart for Chester and your future together.”
Mamm
eased her hand away and stood up. “And think about Sisters Day Thursday.” She smiled before she left the room.

Priscilla stayed at the table for a while. She was excited about Sisters Day. Normally, it was a time for the women to get together for baking, quilting, canning, or another planned activity. It was always a fun day, but Priscilla suspected that there was something entirely different planned for this Sisters Day.

Something for her.

Chapter Seven

P
RISCILLA SAT UP FRONT WITH HER MOTHER IN THE
buggy while Naomi and Sarah Mae huddled together in the back. A cold front had blown in this week, and temperatures were low enough to require a jacket over their dresses, as opposed to the capes they had been wearing so far this fall. Priscilla rubbed her hands together, wishing she’d brought her gloves. But the chill in the air couldn’t thwart her excitement about Sisters Day.

She knew what was coming, and she couldn’t wait.

Please, dear Lord, I pray that everything goes well today. Please keep any worry from my heart. And . . . I pray I don’t get the hiccups
.

Anna Ruth Smoker was today’s hostess, and although everyone who attended brought a dish, Anna Ruth always made extra desserts when the event was held at her house. Priscilla smiled as she counted the number of buggies parked out front.

The Smoker residence was beautiful inside and out. It was a new home built to resemble an old farmhouse, but every time Priscilla visited, she could still smell a hint of fresh paint, even though there was always a lingering aroma of freshly baked cookies in the air.

Her stomach tickled with butterflies as
Mamm
knocked on the door. Her heart raced as they stepped inside the roomy living room.

“Surprise!”

Priscilla threw her hands to her mouth and pretended to be surprised, the way all brides-to-be did when Sisters Day was transformed into a party before someone’s wedding. Bridal showers like the
Englisch
have weren’t part of the Old Order Amish ways, but instead someone hosted a Tupperware or Home Interior Party, and the hostess credit went to the bride-to-be so that she could pick out whatever she wanted for free. Priscilla had been to dozens of these parties over the years, dreaming of one day being the guest of honor. Everyone always bought lots of items to ensure a plentiful shopping spree for the bride. She was anxious to see what type of party they’d planned for her.

“Danki, danki,”
she said as she made her way through the crowd, which included Chester’s mother, Irma. Mary Zook and her girls were there too, including Rachel.

“Pre-Ceelia! Pre-Ceelia!” Rachel pushed her way to Priscilla and threw her arms around her. Once Rachel’s mother finally coaxed Rachel to step aside, Priscilla saw Rose, all her friends, and . . . “Hannah!”

She walked briskly to her sister, who looked incredibly uncomfortable in a recliner in the corner. But a smile stretched across Hannah’s face. “I wouldn’t have missed this, Priscilla.”

Priscilla leaned down and hugged her very pregnant sister, then glanced around the room, still anxious to see what type of party had been planned for her.
Yes! Tupperware!
She eyed the food containers and fancy gadgets lining a table against the wall in the living room.

“Let’s go have a look.” Her mother tucked her arm in Priscilla’s, and together they walked to the table while the other women chatted amongst themselves.
Mamm
picked up a Whip ’N Prep, and Priscilla filled with excitement at the thought of owning the nonelectric appliance that could whip egg whites, creams, and all kinds of sauces.

“Ach, Mamm
.” Priscilla accepted the item from her mother and inspected it. “I’ve always wanted one of these, ever since I saw Linda Petersheim get one at her party.” She slowly placed it back on the table, knowing it was expensive.

“That’s why I’m buying it for you.”
Mamm
stood taller and grinned. “The
Englisch
don’t have anything on us, my dear. That is a fine kitchen tool, and no electricity needed.”

Priscilla smiled.
“Danki, Mamm.”

Her mother nodded as they walked back to the living room, making sure they greeted everyone. Priscilla didn’t notice the smell of fresh paint today, only the wonderful aromas of freshly baked goods. She couldn’t wait to see what was in store for her in the kitchen, that her friends and family had prepared for this special day. For her.

Thank You, God
.

C
HESTER AND HIS FATHER SAT ON THE BACK OF THE PLOW
eating sandwiches Chester’s mother had made that morning. Abe was in town getting supplies since he wasn’t much help on the plow with his broken wrist. Chester was glad that the last of the harvest was in, and as he ate his ham and cheese sandwich, he hoped Priscilla was having a good time at her party. He was pretty sure she’d known about the event, but it would have been improper for her to have mentioned it, and Priscilla played by the rules. He knew that the mishaps lately were causing her grief.

Please, Lord, I pray that things go
gut
at Priscilla’s party today
.

“Chester, I’m planning to help you as much as I can with your
haus
, but . . .” His father ran his hand the length of his beard. “I just don’t see how we are going to be able to finish everything in time for you to move in by mid-November as you and Priscilla were hoping. You might need to stay with her folks for a couple of months, at least.”

Chester’s heart sank, but he knew his father was right. There was just too much work to do. “
Ya
, I know.”

They were quiet for a few moments.

His father stored his trash in the same black tin lunch box he’d been carting around for as long as Chester could remember. Chester stuffed his garbage in something a bit more modern, a small vinyl ice chest no bigger than his father’s lunch box, but with a cooling block. He’d offered to buy his father one—Abe had one too. But
Daed
insisted his old box was just fine.